


Agniratha Hums

by zanthe



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zanthe/pseuds/zanthe
Summary: Ten years later, Agniratha has grown to be more than it ever was.
Relationships: Egil/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Kudos: 17





	Agniratha Hums

**Author's Note:**

> I was sad yesterday so I wanted to be happy today. Enjoy

Agniratha hums, warm and radiant, revived once more. Bridges repaired, homes reconstructed, echoes of ghosts no longer allowed to persist. No more were the forlorn voices of the dead, no more were the grieving whispers of machinery left to rust. Agniratha hums with the life of its people.

Inspired by fellow friends and family, there's a newfound harmony here, a symbiosis of the biological and mechanical. Color bleeds into the city like never before, in vines and gardens, flowers and foliage, adorning the city and uplifting it from a shadowed past. The people here have seen plenty of hardships, and the city reflects the knowledge gained, offers a home for mending hearts, solace for the weary. 

Ten years, such a brief amount of time for such a feat to be accomplished, yet it felt like it had taken an eternity to get here. To Egil, the past was a bitter whirlwind of events blurred together. For so long he had lived here, in a city once ruined, that not once had he thought such a thing could be possible. But here it was, a sight to behold, restored beyond its former glory. 

And here, perched next to him on the railing he leaned on, was the one who'd made it possible to begin with, currently occupying himself by furiously scribbling notes into a journal. His tongue stuck out in concentration, and after short bursts of writing he'd stop, tap his pencil, and resume. Ten years, and Shulk hadn't changed one bit. 

Well, that'd be a lie, actually, he had changed a fair bit appearance-wise. He'd let his hair grow past his shoulders, currently wearing it in a loose ponytail, and often he'd be in too much of a rush to properly shave, so he had a little scruff on the sides of his face as well as a few scabbed over nicks. His eyes were a little more tired, he'd been working so hard this past year, and his hands and arms had a few scars from the learning process of working with electricity and metals.

But it was still Shulk, and he'd never lost that kind look in his eyes, that gentle smile, or his pencil-chewing habits. Egil chuckled in amusement, but Shulk was far too immersed in his thoughts to pay any mind, it wasn't until he was nuzzling his face into the blond's hair that a reaction was given. Egil hugged him, chin resting atop his head, and peered down at the notes. "Still pondering the schematics of the crab?" He asked, and Shulk hummed in agreement. 

"Yeah, its grip has to be gentle enough to not damage the plants, but hard enough to be able to pull them efficiently. Vanea and I are still trying to work out if we can power it with sunlight rather than ether, but that progress has been slow. Can't figure out how to store the energy for longer than a few minutes. I guess sunlight's just not meant to be stored, but we'll figure something out." Shulk let out a mighty sigh and leaned back against Egil, closing the journal in his lap and tapping the cover with his pencil. When Egil nuzzled him again, he laughed and brought a warm hand to rest on his cheek. "Affectionate today?"

Egil leaned into the touch with a smile, "Very, and I plan to bother you relentlessly about it." 

"Oh no, whatever will I do? A huge dork I've been in love with for years is threatening me with affection! Oh- NO!" He snickered between a gasp as a hand snuck under his sweater, "stop that! Your hands are so cold!" Shulk shoved his arm away and Egil lifted him up instead, easy as ever.

"After years of you pestering me to take a break, it is once again my turn to distract you," he grinned, but the devilish glint in his eyes softened in an instant, "you've been working yourself very hard lately, and I find myself missing your company nowadays. Care to amend that?" 

Shulk sighed dramatically, but the gentle smile on his face betrayed his act, "You know I can't argue with that, but you'll have to carry me all the way home." 

Egil nodded, "Of course." 

With that, he set out to walk home, Shulk still in his arms, and occasionally they would stop for a moment to check in on the plants, or to greet friends along the way. And Agniratha hums, for its soul watches over it still, revitalized by the care it is given, adoring so much those who have chosen to live here, and those who have chosen to learn to love here. 

Agniratha hums, for it finally knows love again, too. 


End file.
